I really want to go to a gala dinner evening at the foot of the dinosaur in the main hall of the National History Museum. Doesn’t everyone? Well, a colleague of mine lived that dream. He recently attended the European Diversity Awards along with a charity that he and our organisation have worked with. It sounds like a stunning event with an array of famous names — not to mention the charity itself did rather well.

After hearing all about it in the office, I had a bit of a look at the website. It was all rather interesting to see who’d won and who’d been nominated, but something nearly made me spit out my fat-free yoghurt:

Okay, corporations sponsor diversity awards. It’s wonderful marketing and sends their Corporate Social Responsibility manager home with a smile on her or his face. I work for an organisation that is all about the intersection between business and charity, so I’m all for it.

But to see the words Abercrombie & Fitch so close to a charity that is all about raising awareness and understanding of eating disorders is an insult to anyone who has actually suffered from negative body image. Continue reading →